Nitrogen cycling attracts worldwide attention because of its importance for food production and its effects on the environment. In the form of fertilizer, nitrogen exerts the most important effects in food production. Since the industrialization, however, the amount of anthropogenic reactive N has been comparative with the natural reactive N due to the rapid development of agriculture and industry, the expansion of the global population. As a result, human activities have significantly altered the natural N cycling, causing reactive N compounds (e.g., NOx, N2O, NO3, NH3, NH4+) to enter the atmosphere and water bodies at increasing rates. Increased N2O emissions to the atmosphere not only enhance the greenhouse effect, but also disturb the ozone layer. NO3-, NO2- and NH4+ entering water bodies can negatively affect the quality of drinking water and may cause eutrophication. The dry/wet N depositions containing NH3 and NOx can alter the normal function of forest ecosystems and also intensify the eutrophication of water bodies in these ecosystems.
Continued increases in population and economic growth, particularly in the developing countries, will require commensurate increases in food production and energy demand. Hence, the consumption of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer and energy will further increase, which will impose even greater pressure on the environment. The issue is whether the increased use of N and energy can be achieved while protecting environmental quality and natural resources for future generations.
Exploring a balanced and flexible strategy to increase food and energy production while decreasing detrimental effects on the environment is the main theme of the 3rd International Nitrogen Conference. To achieve this strategy, contributions from different academic disciplines such as agronomy, ecology, biogeochemistry, oceanography and atmospheric science are indispensable, as well as other sciences dealing with agriculture, animal husbandry, forestry, fishery and energy production. The 3rd International Nitrogen Conference, therefore, provides an opportunity to facilitate the dialogue amongst different research fields and the policy-makers in an interdisciplinary setting. The First International Nitrogen Conference held in the Netherlands in March of 1998 was initiated by the scientists and policy-makers of the Netherlands. The Second International Nitrogen Conference was held in the United States of America in October of 2001. The Third International Nitrogen Conference, as described above, will be held in Nanjing, China in October 12-16, 2004.
Theme:
Impacts of Population Growth and
Economic Development on the Nitrogen Cycle:
Consequences and Mitigation at Local, Regional and Global Scales
Goals:
(1) Exchange and integrate scientific knowledge on sources, fates and consequences of nitrogen at different scales, particularly in Asia.
(2) Stimulate discussion between scientists and policy-makers, and explore a balanced strategy to increase food and energy production while protecting environmental quality and natural resources for future generations.
(3) Suggest an action plan to increase food and energy production while decreasing detrimental effects of reactive N on the environment; propose a Nanjing Protocol for Nitrogen Management.
Topics:
1. Centennial retrospect on the effects of increasing nitrogen at different scales and forecasting the future 30 years.
1) The importance of nitrogen for global food security
2) Innovations in nitrogen management for food and energy production
3) Innovations in methodology for studying nitrogen cycling at different scales, and fertilizer use efficiency in agricultural systems
2. Impacts of anthropogenic altered nitrogen cycling on ecosystems at different scales and human health and forecasting the future 30 years.
1) Terrestrial ecosystem
2) Aquatic ecosystem
3) Atmosphere
4) Impact of urbanization on terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric systems
5) Terrestrial-atmospheric-aquatic interactions
3. Mitigation options for the impact of nitrogen on the environment.
1) New fertilizer technologies in agriculture, forestry and fishery
2) Exploitation of biological nitrogen fixation
3) State of knowledge and prospects for genetic engineering to increase nitrogen use efficiency by crop plants
4) Management and reuse of human and domestic animal wastes in agriculture
5) Use of multi-element interactions to mitigate the environmental impacts of nitrogen
6) Exploitation of nitrification and denitrification in waterbodies
7) Advanced techniques and alternative energy sources to reduce nitrogen emissions from industrial production, energy production and transportation
8) Education: training, information and extension
9) National and international policies to control nitrogen cycling
Honorary Chair: Yiyu Chen, Vice President of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Honorary Vice-Chair: Fucheng Ma, Vice-director of National Natural Science Foundation Committee of China
Baowen Zhang, Vice-minister of Ministry of Agriculture of China
Taolin Zhang, Vice-governor of Jiangsu Province, China
Conference Co-Chairs: Zhaoliang Zhu, President, Soil Science Society of China
Katsu Minami, Director General, National Institute for
Agro-Environmental Sciences, Japan
Secretary General: Guangxi Xing, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Sponsor: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Co-sponsors: China Association for Science and Technology
(up to date) Ministry of Agriculture of China
National Natural Science Foundation of China
State Environmental Protection Administration of China
State Oceanic Administration of China
The Netherlands Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment
The People's Government of Jiangsu Province, China
National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences, Japan
The International Nitrogen Initiative
Chisso Corporation, Japan
Host Organizations: Soil Science Society of China
Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Key Laboratory of Material Cycling in Pedosphere, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Co-Organizing Institutions: Agronomy Society of China
Chinese Society of Plant Nutrition and Fertilizer Science
Ecology Society of China
Environment Science Society of China
The Energy Research Center of the Netherlands
University of Virginia
Members of the Organizing Committee:
Zucong Cai Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Liqi Chen Key Laboratory of Global Change and Marine, Atmospheric Chemistry, State Oceanic Administration of China
Jan Willem Erisman Energy Research Center, The Netherlands
Feng Feng Life Sciences Department, National Natural Science Foundation of China
Bojie Fu Bureau of Science and Technology for Resources and environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Shuqin Fu Division of Organizing Section, Bureau of International Cooperation, Chinese Academy of Sciences
James Galloway University of Virginia, USA
Huadong Guo Bureau of International Cooperation, Chinese Academy of Sciences
A. P. Gupta COS-Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana, India
Mun-Hwan Koh Department of Agricultural Environment, National Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology, Korea
Jian Liu Division of Ecology and Environment, Bureau of Science and Technology for Resources and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Zhiquan Liu State Environmental Protection Administration of China
Katsu Minami National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences, Japan
Kilaparti Ramakrishna Woods Hole Research Center, USA
Changqing Song Geoscience Department, National Natural Science Foundation of China
Guangxi Xing Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Jianmin Zhou Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Zhaoliang Zhu Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Members of the Science and Policy Committee:
Kenneth Cassman University of Nebraska, USA
Ellis Cowling North Carolina State University, USA
Jan Willem Erisman Energy Research Center, The Netherlands
John Freney CSIRO, Division of Plant Industry, Australia
James Galloway University of Virginia, USA
Robert Howarth Environmental Defense, USA
Makoto Kimura Nagoya University, Japan
Bao Lin Institute of Soil Fertilizer, Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences
Yongding Liu Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Luc Maene International Fertilizer Association
Jerry Melillo Ecosystems Research Center, USA
Katsu Minami National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences, Japan
Arvin Mosier USDA/Agricultural Research Service, USA
Geping Qu Resources and Environment Committee, the National People's Congress Standing Committee
Robindra Roy FAO, UN
Kaj Sanders The Netherlands Ministry of Environment
Ken Satou Chisso corporation, Japan
Sybil Seitzinger Rutgers University, USA
Stan Smeulders The Netherlands Ministry of Environment
Will Steffen IGBP
Guangxi Xing Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Ruisheng Yue State Environmental Protection Administration of China
Mingjiang Zhou Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Qinghai Zhou State Oceanic Administration of China
Zhaoliang Zhu Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Tours (Tentative):
Pre-conference tour: Field trip to Yangtze River delta region (including Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou city) to investigate the agriculture and rural economy, urbanization and environment
Post-conference tours:
1) Beijing city and the Great Wall
2) Yunnan tour including Kunming, Lijiang and Dali
Payment:
Registration fee:
Standard US$200
Student US$100
Accompanying person US$100
Covers:
Admission to all sessions
Welcome reception
Coffee and tea during breaks
Abstract book
Partial for the Conference Proceedings
(Banquet is free)
Accommodation fee:
US$ 130/day
Covers:
Room
Buffet including Chinese and Western breakfast, lunch and dinner
Timetable of the First Phase (2002-12 ~ 2003-12)
First announcement December, 2002
Plenary speakers invited Summer/Autumn, 2003
Second announcement October, 2003
Abstracts deadline December, 2003
Correspondence:
Dr. Zhengqin Xiong, Ms. Huilin Li, Ms Lili Zhu
P.O.Box 821
Institute of Soil Science
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Nanjing, 210008, China
Tel: +86-25-86881019
+86-25-86881028
Fax: +86-25-86881028
E_mail: n2004@ns.issas.ac.cn
Website: http://www.issas.ac.cn/n2004
